Joan Smith: Bobby Farrell was the original Daddy Cool | The Independent Joan Smith: Bobby Farrell was the original Daddy Cool Sunday 2 January 2011 00:00 BST Click to follow The Independent Online It was the era of glitter balls, Saturday Night Fever, girls dancing round handbags – and Boney M. When I heard about the sudden death last week of the band's frontman, Bobby Farrell, it took me back to 1978 and one of their biggest hits; it's hard to believe now, but Boney M really did perform in mini cossack costumes and sing hypnotically about the murder of Rasputin, the last tsarina's notorious confidant. Farrell died on tour in a hotel in St Petersburg. Boney M weren't allowed to perform "Rasputin" when they visited the USSR in 1978, presumably because the divinely camp lyrics – "Ra-Ra-Rasputin, Russia's greatest love machine/It was a shame how he carried on" – were considered too sensitive.

(Eerily, the last two syllables of Rasputin form the name of Russia's current prime minister, judo expert and all-round love machine, Vladimir Putin. How prescient.) I've danced to Boney M many times and I know most of their lyrics by heart, along with all the words to every one of Abba's hits. Pop songs took the place of poetry for my generation, and the words of hundreds of Seventies disco tracks are firmly lodged in my head. I'm not the only one, judging by the popularity of sing-along screenings of Mamma Mia! Disco, and Boney M, were in their heyday in the late Seventies. It was cooler to admire the Sex Pistols, but I love dancing and I retained my passion for Donna Summer, the Bee Gees, Sister Sledge and even Gloria Gaynor. I was going through a difficult time with men and I liked "I Will Survive" the first thousand or so times I heard it, although I'd gone right off it by the time it came to be weepily associated with Princess Diana.

Boney M were as much performance art as a pop group, and that's something they have in common with contemporary stars such as Lady GaGa. Farrell didn't actually sing on their records but he had been a DJ before fronting the band, and he threw himself into stage performances with utter conviction. Boney M were the creation of a German record producer, Frank Farian, who chose Farrell and three other performers from Caribbean backgrounds to front songs he recorded himself in the studio. Farian dressed them in fabulous outfits, provided them with songs based on everything from Biblical psalms to Russian history, and a string of top 10 hits followed. Boney M's version of "Mary's Boy Child", originally sung by Harry Belafonte, was UK Christmas No 1 in 1978. Disco was always a theatrical medium, cramming intense feeling into short lyrics, and in the Seventies it perfectly expressed the yearning of women and gay men for sexual freedom; one critic described the 1975 disco hit "Love to Love You Baby" as "little more than Donna Summer simulating an orgasm or 20".

Summer performed on stage with a troupe of male and female dancers in skin-tight glittery costumes, while all four members of Boney M camped it up on video like divas in extravagant (and pre-animal rights) furs. Curiously, given how overtly sexual Seventies disco was, those videos now seem to belong to a more innocent age. Disco broke taboos all over the place, mixing up culture, race and sexuality, and Boney M's fusion of European, Caribbean and Eastern influences still has the power to amaze. The only thing wrong with Seventies disco is that it's tricky to dance to in my five-inch heel shoe bargains.

But kicking them off, I'll be up in no time, arms in the air: "Ra-Ra-Rasputin, lover of the Russian queen...." Boney M singer Bobby Farrell dies aged 61 - BBC News BBC News Boney M singer Bobby Farrell dies aged 61 30 December 2010 Close share panel Media captionBobby Farrell was the only male member of the popular disco four-piece Bobby Farrell, front man of the 1970s disco group Boney M, has died at the age of 61, his agent has announced. The singer was found dead in a hotel room in St Petersburg, Russia, where he had been performing, John Seine said. Farrell, he continued, had complained of breathing problems before and after a show on Wednesday. The cause of his death has yet to be established. Farrell, the only male member of the popular four-piece, had been due to fly to Rome for a TV show on Friday. Born Alfonso Farrell in Aruba, the singer left his home on the Caribbean island at 15 to work as a sailor. He then travelled to Norway and Germany to pursue a career as a DJ.

In 1974 he was chosen to front Boney M, which was put together by German singer and songwriter Frank Farian. 'Quite bizarre' It was he who performed much of the male vocals on the group's hit records, Farrell being more a dancer and showman than a singer. Image caption He continued to perform after Boney M disbanded in 1986 Known for his extravagant costumes, Farrell was often seen with a bare torso and tight-fitting bell-bottom pants. Boney M had their first hit with Daddy Cool in 1976, and scored a UK number one two years later with Rivers of Babylon. The song sold nearly two million records in Britain alone, where it stayed at the top of the chart for five weeks. After the group disbanded in 1986 Farrell continued on his own, most recently touring with three female backing singers under the name Bobby Farrell of Boney M. According to Mr Seine the singer had suffered from "heart problems, shortage of breath and problems with his stomach" for the last decade. He described his client as "a fantastic person" but also "quite bizarre". "He had a big heart but he was explosive," he said.

Farrell is survived by a son and a daughter. Your comments I presented a bouquet to all the members of Boney M when they performed at Deeside Leisure Centre, North Wales. I think it was 1980. I was dressed in a traditional Welsh outfit and would have been about eight-years-old. It is one of my clearest childhood memories. Rachel Moore, Wrexham, Flintshire, UK I saw Boney M live in Bournemouth in a show called 'Seaside Special'. I was right up close to the stage so when this show was broadcast on TV I could see myself and my mother clearly. It was a good show. My favourite Boney M songs are Rivers of Babylon and Ma Baker. Belinda, Oxford, UK As a punk I wasn't allowed to admit that I liked Boney M but I loved their slightly surreal take on historical stories and the vocal harmonies were second to none, like the Ramones they had a knowing cartoon-like quality that didn't take itself too seriously. Bobby Farrell's death is a sad loss. Alexander, Hove, UK I recently bought Boney M's greatest hits and play these songs on my way to work as they make me feel vibrant and alive.

My favourite songs are Brown Girl in the Ring and Rasputin. I was at secondary school in the late 70s when Boney M took off - a great pop group. RIP Bobby! Amanda Sparkle, Dartford, Kent, UK I loved Boney M. My first record when I was seven-years-old was Belfast. I still love that song. Boney M were part of my young life and so I still love for them - they can really sing brilliantly. I never met any of the Boney M members - but I really will think about this loss as part of a loss of my younger years. Andy McDonald, Edinburgh, UK I've been a fan since I was a child. All of my Boney M was on vinyl until my wife bought me the Boney M greatest hits CD for Christmas - we've been listening to it since. Our three-year-old kids have been having a good boogie to it. A sad day - may he rest in peace forever by the Rivers of Babylon.

Simon Manley, Welwyn Garden City, UK Bobby was a character who will be remembered for his on-stage antics and husky voice - a member of Boney M, one of the greatest disco bands of all time that just kept on going unlike many others who came and went. I loved all their hits but Ma Baker always stands out for me. You can hear Ma Baker today in Poker Face by Lady Gaga showing how much Boney M has inspired dance music over the years. RIP Bobby and a BIG thank you for a great contribution to humanity. Gary G, Northampton, UK Bobby Farrell helped provide the soundtrack to my childhood. One of Boney M's most memorable songs was about Rasputin. Isn't it weird that both Rasputin and Bobby died in St Petersburg, and on 29 December? May he rest in peace. Marian Korzeniowski, Morecambe, Lancashire, UK There are so many great songs by Boney M and so many great memories. I saw Bobby Farrell in 2005 and he was a brilliant show man.

My loveliest memory is of him singing(unaccompanied live) a rendition of No Woman, No Cry - he sang and the crowd chanted back to him - a really nice man too. John Healy, Dublin, Ireland This is very sad news indeed. My wife and I got hooked on Boney M in 1975 and we have been listening to their music ever since. In fact we were listening to their Daddy Cool CD last night. For my wife, Rivers of Babylon is definitely the best Boney M song and she has that song as her ring tone on her mobile phone. Ebenezer Obeng and Ama Asare, Virginia Beach, USA I have fond memories of listening to Boney M as a kid in India. Boney M was a hot favourite in my country in those days and we would never tire of listening to their hit songs over and over again. Who can forget such hits as by the Rivers of Babylon, Oceans of Fantasy and Boonoonoonoos? We even sang some of these songs in the school choir. Recently, I was surprised to hear the songs of Boney M playing in some shopping malls in Montreal. Well, it's a small world.

I am truly saddened to learn about the death of Bobby Farrell. Deepanjan, Montreal, Canada I remember listening to Boney M a lot as a teenager growing up in Port Moresby in the early 80s. I particularly liked their song El Lute and was always impressed with their odd costumes. Thanks for the music Bobby - would have loved to have met you or seen Boney M play live. You will be missed! Ian Taukuro, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea What a loss! Bobby Farrell was a charming artist with great vocals and intricate dance steps. I was one of his great admirers and find it so hard to believe the news. I loved Boney M songs like Daddy Cool, By the Rivers of Babylon, Hooray Hooray its a Holi-Holiday and Felicidad. I never physically met Bobby Farrell and I will never now that he is gone but he was great a performer. He will forever live in our minds and in his songs that have immortalised him. Bobby RIP.

Ochieng' Ogodo, Nairobi, Kenya I saw Boney M perform at the Twin Towns Club on the Gold Coast in New South Wales, Australia in 1999 Boney M was very popular during my time in Oman in 1978. Robert Hogg, Coomera, Australia I'm absolutely disheartened and devastated by the news. He was an embodiment of a true male disco artist! Joseph Bizumo, Warsaw, Poland There were really so many good songs but Sunny always lifted my spirits. I have a pain in my heart right now. We grew up on Boney M songs, so many happy memories. R.I.P Bobby, you will never be forgotten. David Williams, Melbourne, Australia Boney M | New Music And Songs | Boney M About Boney M Although they never had much success in America, the Euro-disco group Boney M. were a European phenomenon during the '70s. After German record producer Frank Farian (born in 1942) recorded the single "Baby Do You Wanna Bump?" (which was successful in Holland and Belgium), he created Boney M.

to support the song, bringing in four West Indian vocalists who had been working as session singers in Germany -- Marcia Barrett (b. October 14, 1948, St. Catherines, Jamaica), Liz Mitchell (b. July 12, 1952, Clarendon, Jamaica), Maizie Williams (b. March 25, 1951, Monserrat, West Indies), and Bobby Farrell (b. October 6, 1949, Aruba, West Indies, d. December 30, 2010, St. Petersburg, Russia). "Daddy Cool" reached the U.K. Top Ten in February 1977, followed in April by a remake of Bobby Hebb's "Sunny." In July, "Ma Baker" just missed the U.K. number one spot, and "Belfast" hit the Top Ten in December. In 1978, Boney M. were at the height of their popularity with "Rivers of Babylon"/"Brown Girl in the Ring," which became the second-biggest selling single in U.K. chart history.

"Rivers of Babylon" also was Boney M.'s only U.S. Top 40 hit. Boney M.'s album, Nightflight to Venus, also topped the U.K. charts. In October 1978, "Rasputin" became another U.K. Top Ten hit, followed by the seasonal chart-topper "Mary's Boy Child"/"Oh My Lord," which became the fifth-biggest selling single in U.K. history. In March 1979, "Painter Man" hit the U.K. Top Ten, followed in May by "Hooray! Hooray! It's a Holi-Holiday." In September, the album Oceans of Fantasy hit number one. Their music continues to sell well in Europe, with a compilation hitting the U.K. Top Ten in 1994. Farian went on to create the late-'80s dance sensation Milli Vanilli. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi Hear more of Boney M's Bobby Farrell dies on the same day and in the same town as Rasputin...

the subject of one of the band's biggest hits | Daily Mail Online Boney M's Bobby Farrell dies on the same day and in the same town as Rasputin... the subject of one of the band's biggest hits comments Life sadly imitated art for Boney M's Bobby Farrell today as his death turned into an uncanny coincidence relating to one of his biggest hits. The frontman died in St Petersburg yesterday on same date and in the exact same town as mad Russian monk Rasputin - who was the subject of the band's 1978 top three single. The eccentric frontman was found dead in his hotel room aged just 61 just hours after a performance in the city where the band rose to stardom in the Soviet era, according to his agent. Weird coincidence: Boney M singer Bobby Farrell was found dead on December 29 in St Petersburg... just like Rasputin But while the cause of Farrell's death is still not clear, it couldn't be more different to that of Grigori Rasputin, who, said the lyrics in Boney M's song, was the 'lover of the Russian Queen'.

Rasputin, was 47 when he his body was recovered from Neva River. He had drowned after being been poisoned, shot four times, badly beaten, and thrown in the river. WHO WAS RASPUTIN? Grigori Rasputin has been described as one of the most scandalous figures in Russian history. Born the son of a peasant in 1869, he was a self-styled 'holy man' who is believed to have had a huge influence on Emperor Nicholas II, but especially his wife Alexandra, and their son Alexis, who seemed to miraculously overcome his hemophilia when Rasputin was around, and the family began to trust him and call him their 'holy man' and 'our friend'. Alexandra acted as ruler when Nicholas took command of the Russian troops fighting the Germans during the First World War and Rasputin acted as her advisor, giving her advice on how to run the troops and the nation, which Nicholas went with, but eventually left the country in ruin. Members of the Russian nobility, including Grand Duke Dimitri Pavlovich and Prince Felix Yussoupov, blamed all the troubles on Rasputin and plotted to kill him.

His body was fished out of the icy Neva River after being been poisoned, shot four times, badly beaten, and thrown in. He was the subject of Boney M's hit which was a Top 5 hit across Europe. Today, Farrell's agent John Seine - who is based in the Netherlands - said of Farrell: 'He did a show last night as part of Bobby Farrell's Boney M and they found him this morning dead in his hotel room. ‘He did not feel well last night, and was having problems with his breathing, but he did the show anyway,’ Seine added. The cause of his death was not immediately clear, according to Sergei Kapitanov, a representative of St. Petersburg's branch of Russia's investigative committee. Boney M - consisting of Farrell, Maisie Williams, Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett - were one of the most successful bands of the late 1970s with Farrell becoming famed for his lip-synching as much as his dancing in the disco band. The band's hits included Daddy Cool, Ma Baker and Rasputin.

Indeed, their version of Mary’s Boy Child – Oh My Lord was the Christmas No1 in 1978 and is the tenth biggest-selling single of all time in Britain. The double A-sided single Brown Girl In The Ring and Daddy Cool, also released in 1978, was the biggest-selling single of that year. Indeed, it remains the sixth biggest selling single of all time in Britain. Farrell was born on the island of Aruba, one of the Lesser Antilles. He lived in Norway and the Netherlands before moving to Germany. He worked largely as nightclub DJ before music producer Frank Farian signed him up for the new pop group he was putting together, which became Boney M. Farrell was the sole male singer in the group. However, Farian later revealed that Bobby made almost no vocal contributions to the group's records. Heyday: Bobby with other Boney M members. The band reached their peak in the 1980's but Bobby performed the night before he died Instead, Farian sang the male parts on the songs in the studio. Farrell did, however, perform the songs live.

The band Boney M was put together by German singer-songwriter Frank Farian who also produced most of the vocals for the group. Frank was also producer to group Milli Vanilli and caused controversy when he admitted that the guys who fronted the group did not actually sing the songs. Bandmates: Maizie Williams, Bobby Farrell, Marscia Barrett and Liz seen in Moscow in 1981 The original Boney M band broke up more than 20 years ago. Farrell was the frontman for a group called Bobby Farrell and Boney M. However, their influence is still felt today after superstar pop singer Lady Gaga sampled the vocal 'Ma-Ma-Ma' hook from hit song 'Ma Baker' for her hit single Poker Face last year. And dance group Duck Sauce released a track in 2010 sampling track Gotta Go Home on their hit single Barbra Streisand. Farian has produced a new Boney M. version, also called Barbra Streisand, which was released early December 2010.

Right up to the end: Bobby performed the night before he died Bobby Farrell's daughter tells of the fame and tragedy that Boney M brought her dad - Mirror Online Happy times: Bobby Farrell with Boney M (Photo: WireImage) Share Get daily updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Thank you for subscribing! Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email If your dad was a pop star ­with a multi-million selling Christmas single then this time of year should be extra cheery. But for Zanillya Farrell – daughter of Boney M front man Bobby – the ­memories are bittersweet whenever she hears Mary’s Boy Child on the radio. This will be the second Christmas since she lost her beloved father, who was 61 when he died in a hotel room in Russia on December 30, 2010. Bobby Farrell was the larger-than-life performer who fronted one of the world’s most successful acts with hit after hit at the height of the 70s disco boom. Joker He went from poverty to riches – and back again, leaving allegations he was cheated out of a fortune by German record ­producer Frank Farian.

Zanillya, 29, has talked for the first time about her late father, revealing her belief that Boney M drove him to drugs and booze and wrecked his marriage. And she called on Farian to account for his part in Bobby’s decline. She told the Sunday People: “Fame brings a price with it. Fame was good and bad for him. “When I was a child he was so funny and loved jokes. He was always a joker but towards the end of his life he was sick a lot and told me he didn’t want to live any more.” Bobby, found dead in his room in St Petersburg, ended his days doing what he loved – ­performing. He was born on Aruba in the Caribbean and was a DJ in Holland in 1975 when he was recruited by Farian, now 71, for Boney M – with Liz Mitchell, Marcia Barrett and Maizie Williams. The group sold more than 150million records and peaked in 1978 when Rivers of Babylon, Brown Girl in the Ring and Rasputin became huge global hits.

Boney M also had that year’s UK Christmas No1, selling more than two million copies of Mary’s Boy Child – Oh My Lord. Bobby became a rich man. But the band ­allegedly had a share of only nine per cent of the ­royalties. And when the hits dried up the cash flow dwindled. Zanillya’s ­mother Yasmina married Bobby in 1981. Their daughter said: “Mum learned how the business worked and asked about ­contracts. Eventually my ­father asked Farian what their contract was but he ­said he became ‘very weird’ so my father left the band.” When Zanillya was born in 1983 her ­parents lived in a 13-bedroom mansion in Germany. But they were on ­borrowed time ­financially and the contract with Farian had to be renewed. Zanillya claimed: “When Dad asked Farian for 100,000 marks he was told to sign some ­papers. He signed away ­everything – ­image rights, ­royalties, the lot. My father lost ­everything. We had to move in with my ­grandmother in the Netherlands and live on welfare.

After that, Dad started getting angry a lot. “But Mum was very smart and realised if you own the name you can use it. “Farian had not ­registered Boney M all over the world. So that’s why Dad could ­perform in certain countries.” Bobby had to go on the road to make a living, which created ­difficulties. Zanillya ­recalled: “Dad was not ­really there for ­family life. Mum said he had ­multiple ­relationships on tour. They were both fiery and on ­occasions it got ­physical and violent. “When I was 12 they split and it was ­traumatic. Mum got away from it all in Italy. My brother Zanin and I went to live with Dad. “Losing my mother, the love of his life, was ­difficult. He was a good person and a good ­father but at some point he lost it. My mother had been there to shield us but ­I saw him crumble. “He complained he could not sleep – too much on his mind. He would take sleeping pills and pills for his blood.

He said ‘I do not want to live any more.’ “Because of the stress of Boney M he started doing alcohol and drugs. He took coke, though he gave that up later. “But I think this gave him personality ­disorders and mood swings.” Bobby’s funeral reunited the three Boney M girls for the first time in many years and they read out a eulogy at his memorial service in Amsterdam. Zanillya said: “He would have been so happy at that. I heard ­rumours the ­women are getting back together.” Bobby, who said he was “blessed” because he was in Boney M, did sing live but his voice is not on the records. He left an estate worth £500,000. His daughter said: “I wonder if Farian has a conscience but I don’t hate him. One day maybe he’ll explain to me how he could let my father feel like this.” Zanillya, who is building a career as a hip-hop artist in Europe, added: “I have big dreams, just like my father.” Asked what is her favourite Boney M song she smiled and replied: “Daddy Cool. It has to be.

They are also the words on his gravestone.” features@people.co.uk Boney M frontman Bobby Farrell found dead in Russian hotel room aged 61 | Daily Mail Online Boney M frontman Bobby Farrell found dead in Russian hotel room aged 61 comments Frontman: Boney M singer Bobby Farrell was found dead in a hotel room earlier today He was one of the biggest stars of the 1970s despite famously not singing on his band's hits. However, earlier today Bobby Farrell – the eccentric frontman of pop disco act Boney M was found dead in a hotel room in St. Petersburg, Russia. The 61-year-old’s body was discovered just hours after a performance in the city where the band rose to stardom in the Soviet era, according to his agent. ‘He did a show last night as part of Bobby Farrell's Boney M and they found him this morning dead in his hotel room,’ agent John Seine – based in the Netherlands – said. ‘He did not feel well last night, and was having problems with his breathing, but he did the show anyway,’ Seine added.

The cause of his death was not immediately clear, according to Sergei Kapitanov, a representative of St. Petersburg's branch of Russia's investigative committee. Boney M - consisting of Farrell, Maisie Williams, Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett - were one of the most successful bands of the late 1970s with Farrell becoming famed for his lip-synching as much as his dancing in the disco band. The band's hits included Daddy Cool, Ma Baker and Rasputin. Indeed, their version of Mary’s Boy Child – Oh My Lord was the Christmas No1 in 1978 and is the tenth biggest-selling single of all time in Britain. The double A-sided single Brown Girl In The Ring and Daddy Cool, also released in 1978, was the biggest-selling single of that year. Indeed, it remains the sixth biggest selling single of all time in Britain. Farrell was born on the island of Aruba, one of the Lesser Antilles. He lived in Norway and the Netherlands before moving to Germany. He worked largely as nightclub DJ before music producer Frank Farian signed him up for the new pop group he was putting together, which became Boney M.

Farrell was the sole male singer in the group. However, Farian later revealed that Bobby made almost no vocal contributions to the group's records. Heyday: Bobby with other Boney M members. The band reached their peak in the 1980's but Bobby performed the night before he died Bandmates: Maizie Williams, Bobby Farrell, Marscia Barrett and Liz seen in Moscow in 1981 Instead, Farian himself sang the male parts on the songs in the studio. Farrell did, however, perform the songs live. The band Boney M was put together by German singer-songwriter Frank Farian who also produced most of the vocals for the group. The original Boney M band broke up more than 20 years ago. Farrell was the frontman for a group called Bobby Farrell and Boney M. Frank was also producer to group Milli Vanilli and caused controversy when he admitted that the guys who fronted the group did not actually sing the songs.

Right up to the end: Bobby performed the night before he died Bobby Farrell - Telegraph Music Obituaries Bobby Farrell Bobby Farrell, who died suddenly in St Petersburg on December 30 aged 61, was ostensibly the lead singer of Boney M, the disco group which achieved wide popularity in the 1970s with hits such as Rivers of Babylon and Daddy Cool. Bobby Farrell performing at the Hammersmith Odeon, London, in 1978 Photo: REX 6:20PM GMT 30 Dec 2010 Assembled in 1976 by the German-based producer and composer Frank Farian, Boney M consisted of three girls — Marcia Barrett, Liz Mitchell and Maizie Williams — and Bobby Farell. They were distinctive for their outlandish costumes and hairdos and for their extravagant dance routines, and sold more than 100 million records. The group, based in Germany, broke into the charts with Daddy Cool and Sunny in 1976.

In 1978, Rivers Of Babylon (with its reverse side Brown Girl in the Ring) spent 40 weeks in the British charts, and it remains one of the bestselling British singles of all time. The fact that the male vocals were actually performed in the studio not by Bobby Farrell but by Frank Farian did nothing to diminish their popularity. But Farian never appeared on stage, leaving that side of the business to Farrell. According to Liz Mitchell: “[Farian] obviously thought himself not presentable enough to perform . It was understandable because Frank Farian is a white German and the music of Boney M was West Indian, American, African rhythm.” Bobby Farrell was born Alfonso Farrell on the island of Aruba, in the Lesser Antilles off the coast of Venezuela, on October 6 1949. He decided to leave home at the age of 15 to go to sea, ending up in Norway and then in Germany, where he initially earned his living as a DJ and as an occasional dancer and male model. He came across Farian after the producer had recorded a song called Baby Do You Wanna Bump, which he wanted to promote.

Farian had already selected a name for the artists behind the release, taking Boney M from the name of a detective series on Australian television. Having persuaded Farrell to come on board, along with Barrett, Mitchell and Williams, the publicity machine went into action. Boney M were thus very much in the tradition of “manufactured” pop groups started by The Monkees in the 1960s. The group’s first album, released in 1976, was Take the Heat off Me, but Farrell’s voice was not used on the record after Farian decided that it was not good enough. Where Farrell excelled, in the producer’s view, was as a dancer and performer on stage, and Boney M duly strutted their stuff around the discos and clubs of Germany. Eventually the group would have 15 number ones in Germany, including Brown Girl in the Ring and Mary’s Boychild. In the late 1970s it seemed that Boney M could do no wrong. Daddy Cool (1976) was followed in the same year by Sunny; and in 1977 came Ma Baker and Belfast.

Rivers of Babylon — originally recorded by a Jamaican group, the Melodians — was a colossal hit across Europe, and the group then came out with Rasputin and Mary’s Boy Child/Oh My Lord, which in 1978 was the Christmas No 1 in Britain. Also in 1978, Boney M were invited by the Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev to perform in the Soviet Union, the first Western group to be accorded such an honour. They were flown by Soviet military aircraft from London to Moscow, where they performed in Red Square before an audience of 2,700. Other of Boney M’s hits included Hooray! Hooray! It’s a Holi-Holiday and Painter Man. There were three successful albums, including, in 1980, The Magic of Boney M — 20 Golden Hits, and the following year Farrell briefly left the group, which would break up in 1986 amid some acrimony.

There were claims that Boney M received only nine per cent of the profits from their music, and Liz Mitchell later said: “The actual people who did the singing, which is Marcia Barrett and myself, didn’t get any credit.” Farrell continued to perform with a variety of female backup singers, maintaining his flamboyant style and continuing to sport his fancy costumes. “I like to look good on stage and to release all my energy in my shows,” he said. “I still wear my glitter costumes and my girls always look glamorous alongside me.” In recent years he had toured under the name Bobby Farrell’s Boney M, offering a blend of disco and Calypso music. He liked to be known as “The King of Disco”. Bobby Farrell, who lived in Amsterdam and was divorced from his wife, was found dead in a hotel room in St Petersburg, where he had been performing. He had complained of breathing problems both before and after his show on December 29. He had been due to perform in Italy last night, New Year’s Eve. Rasputin - Boney M - Sing n Dance Performance - YouTube Rasputin - Boney M - Sing n Dance Performance Want to watch this again later?

Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Jan 27, 2013 Me and my daughters Shama Begum & Shifa Begum, during the Talents Day of the Parent Engagement Programme conducted by their school. We're doing the Boney M number, "Rasputin" ; a little sing n dance performance; outcome of a day and a half of practice. Mom always wanted me to do something like this, both solo and with the kids. When my wife, Ranzia, got wind of the programme being conducted (she's the one who checks their diaries), she jumped at the oppurtunity and suggested that I do this with the girls. I shied away initially, but later, my mom, wife and kids jointly bullied me into doing this, which, in normal circumstances, I would definitely have avoided. Anyways, the sound system was horrible, and one mic (out of the three provided) had almost nil volume.

All the same, hope you like the performance and the costumes (courtesy their Granny, Dr Sheela Beegum, who also took a day off to come and watch us perform). Finally, I'm glad I did this for my family, and I dedicate it to them. We'll try to practice more next time and give a better performance, but for now,,, cheerio and happy viewing.... Category Boney M's Bobby Farrell: Gone But Never Forgotten In Former Soviet Bloc Boney M's Bobby Farrell: Gone But Never Forgotten In Former Soviet Bloc December 31, 2010 Nikola Krastev The body of Bobby Farrell, of Boney M, was found in his St. Petersburg hotel room. Share See comments With the passing of Bobby Farrell, the lead male singer of the 1970s hit-makers Boney M, a chapter has been closed for millions of disco fans across the former Soviet empire. The body of the 61-year-old Farrell was found in a hotel room in St. Petersburg, Russia, following a performance in a country where his fans remain as devoted as the first time they heard songs such as "Ma Baker" and "Rasputin" decades ago.

Forget the fact that many of Boney M's recordings featured the voice not of Farrell but of the group's producer, a German named Frank Farian. For legions of people who came of age behind the Iron Curtain, it was the flamboyant, Aruba-born Farrell and his coterie of Caribbean female singers that made Boney M what it was -- an intimate reminder of their romantic and dance-filled younger days. While virtually unheard of in the United States, Boney M took Western Europe by storm with their highly danceable, infectious anthems. But their true home was further east, in the dimmed halls of the early disco clubs of the Soviet Union, Bulgaria, and Poland. There, local deejays would pump up "Rivers of Babylon" and "Daddy Cool" on low-quality, East German-made reel-to-reel tapes. And the crowd, which remained stubbornly inert as long as the Komsomol-sanctioned tunes were playing, would suddenly erupt back to life on the dance floor. Ideologically Unsound For those of us who remember such scenes, there was little understanding at the time that there were bigger, flashier, and more creative acts out there.

The Jacksons, featuring a wunderkind named Michael, had already established themselves as a solid presence on the American disco scene. The divine vocal harmonies of the Temptations would consistently rise to the top of the U.S. music charts. Diana Ross and Donna Summer would embody the finest moments of the disco era. But for the rest of us behind the Wall, there was only Boney M. Boney M on Red Square in Moscow in 1978 I still remember the surge of collective excitement when Vlado the Dog, an older and better-connected member of the vinyl black-market scene in Sofia, proudly showed the rest of us his latest acquisition -- a crisp, Made-In-Germany copy of Boney M's third release, "Love for Sale." We didn't understand what they were singing, but the irresistible, danceable beats and the vivid cover art did their subversive work all too well. We knew instantly, instinctually, that this was far superior to the lame tunes played on state radio stations under the generalized banner of "estrada." At the time, state censors had largely deemed recordings by contemporary Western acts ideologically unsound.

They weren't available in stores, and illicit copies could fetch a considerable sum on the black market -- sometimes up to a quarter of the average monthly wage in Bulgaria or Poland. In the Soviet Union, they sold for even more. We always envied the Yugoslavs, who under the relatively relaxed reign of Tito enjoyed considerable cultural freedom and the sale of a number of popular Western pop-music acts. Owning even a small collection of these records was highly prestigious and translated into a free pass to parties with cigarettes, booze, and attractive girls where one otherwise might not necessarily be invited. The mindset of those censors was a puzzle to me for many years. Why would they green-light acts like Elton John and Rod Stewart but ban groups like Led Zeppelin or the Rolling Stones? Now, in retrospect, it makes perfect sense. The serrated guitar riffs and the rebellious, sexual groans of Mick Jagger were full of threatening undercurrents, and thus off limits. But the clean-cut, smooth-sounding balladeers, on the other hand, were less intrusive, and therefore harmless, to the psyches of us unsophisticated Eastern Bloc radio listeners.

Plus, by allowing some of the more sanitized, sugary Western performers to slip through, the communist tastemakers could always claim that they were not in fact censors but equal-opportunity purveyors of entertainment for all. 'Russia's Greatest Love Machine' While Boney M was initially viewed with suspicion by communist cultural authorities, by 1978 it was evident that they matched perfectly with the ideologues' standards of suitable listening: harmonious, catchy tunes, apolitical lyrics, a pleasing stage appearance. They occupied the same conformist, cheerful spot the Swedish quartet ABBA had dominated a year or two earlier. Bobby Farrell's theatrical antics as he danced around his female bandmates added spice to Boney M's performances and drove their Eastern European fan base wild, but they were nowhere near the perverse sophistication and provocative gyrations of, for example, America's Rick James. And so, in 1978, when Boney M became one of the first mainstream Western pop acts allowed into the Soviet Union, Kremlin image-makers seized an opportunity to promote the brighter side of the system.

On the eve of the 1980 summer Olympic Games in Moscow, a Soviet military plane flew Boney M from London to Moscow for an open-air performance on Red Square. Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev himself was reportedly in attendance and spoke approvingly of Boney M. Tickets were such a hot commodity that scalpers were reportedly earning up to 150 rubles apiece -- the equivalent of an engineer's monthly salary at the time. Tracks like "Rasputin" -- which referred to the infamous Russian mystic Grigory Rasputin as "Russia's greatest love machine" -- were not initially released in the Soviet Union due to their controversial lyrics. The Kremlin also asked Farrell to tone down his erotic stage movements, a request with which he willingly complied. Once those rough edges were smoothed down, Boney M were quickly transformed into music megastars throughout the entire Soviet bloc. Fashions come and go, and as perestroika brought new artistic freedoms to the Soviet Union, Boney M's popularity faded but never completely vanished. The band's original members parted ways in 1989, with its female members changing frequently from that point on.

But Farrell remained a constant, continuing to tour throughout the former communist empire three decades after the band's last hit single in 1980. Boney M's influence on post-Soviet popular culture can be heard in the soundtracks of a number of movies, the latest of which is the 2008 Kazakh film "Tulpan," where the protagonist -- Boni -- repeatedly plays a cassette recording of "Rivers of Babylon," one of Boney M's most successful hits. In an irony noted with delight by many of his fans, Farrell's death on December 29 fell on the same day -- and in the same city -- as that of his favorite song subject, the "lover of the Russian queen," Rasputin himself. Nikola Krastev is a New York-based correspondent for RFE/RL. The views expressed in this commentary are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of RFE/RL Related

Question: Which real-life Russian did Boney M sing about in 1978?
Answer: Rasputin